The Liftsal GuardiansThe Liftsal Guardians #1
Alexandra Moody
Sci-Fi Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult
{GoodReads}
A world of frost and snow. A prince with a heart of ice. A darkness lurking in the shadows, so evil it may destroy them all.
Eighteen-year-old Sloane has spent years training to be lethal. She can cut a man down as easily with her bare hands as she can with a sword. But when her brother goes missing on the green planet, Aeris, she will need more than her skills with a blade to save him.
Sneaking aboard the rescue mission may be easy for her, but the woods of Aeris aren’t as empty as her people first assumed. Sloane is about to meet her match, and he’s not exactly human…
Sloane thought she could solve any problem with a blade--that is until she is kidnapped and taken through a shimmering rift to a strange world covered in snow. The frozen land she finds herself in is protected by a mysterious race of warriors and haunted by evil, ancient creatures that lurk in the shadows.
Kidnapped and dragged to a mysterious frozen world, Sloane must gain her captor’s trust if she wants to escape. The only problem is: she didn’t plan to care for the strange people who live there. She didn’t expect the smoldering attraction she feels for the man who keeps her prisoner in the snow. And she never imagined the dark creatures that haunt the foreign world could hold the answers she is looking for.
Her first instinct is to fight for her freedom, but her skills with a sword are useless in helping her escape from the cold and distant prince who holds her prisoner. Her only hope is to gain his trust. The problem is, he's just as stubborn as she is and refuses to let her go.
Will she succeed in escaping or will she find a reason to stay?
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WARNING: Possible Spoilers!
WARNING: Possible Spoilers!
{The Basics}
It's always such a joy to find fun adventures in new-to-me/never-heard-before authors & books. I found this particular novel---the first of a series---for free on Amazon at least two years ago & pretty much forgot about it as it lay in my Kindle collecting virtual dust. When I was flipping through my Kindle's books (oodles of them just sitting there for when the mood kicks in), I happened to start this one & was immediately taken in.
Other than a good portion of language and the typical macho-heroine/don't-mess-with-me trope, this was an incredible story. I so enjoyed the sci-fi feel of the space plot & planetary world-building. The characters were well fleshed out & uniquely their own, and while I was slightly annoyed at Sloane's ignorant/saucy attitude, her character arc beginning in this first book of the series makes for a great read. I need the sequels!!!
Other than a good portion of language and the typical macho-heroine/don't-mess-with-me trope, this was an incredible story. I so enjoyed the sci-fi feel of the space plot & planetary world-building. The characters were well fleshed out & uniquely their own, and while I was slightly annoyed at Sloane's ignorant/saucy attitude, her character arc beginning in this first book of the series makes for a great read. I need the sequels!!!
{Violence}
A pod crash-lands on a planet's surface injuring several and killing at least two men---one's neck is broken and his body is impaled by a steel pipe... Another man's injuries leave him unable to walk & in much pain. A fire breaks out in the wreckage where one man remains trapped---a character rushes in to help him & they make it out just in time.
A knife throw hits a hideous creature, called a Braky, right between the eyes, stopping it in its pursuit. A man cuts off its head.
An ambush of Brakys gives way to a battle and much blood & gashes---injuries from swords, arrows, and/or claws. A girl is attacked by a Braky, and is clawed in the leg as she tries to run---the injury never seems to heal.
[SPOILER!] Brakys suddenly appear in the stronghold of the Unfaih, and how they made it inside is still a mystery... They attack Sloane & another girl. Sloane does her best to defend the two of them, but is knocked unconscious in the process, and the younger girl suffers a mild injury to the head.
A character's background is revealed in a flashback memory & we learn why she is the way she is, more or less. A woman is brutally murdered in front of a daughter, while the other daughter remains hidden. We learn the hidden girl's sister was taken & tortured, and while eventually saved, is mentally & physically scarred because of it---never the same again.
{Spiritual Content}
Sloane asks a man if he believes in God. He replies, "No. God is a human manifestation of what we call the ætherial, which is the balance that must be kept." (Of course, I don't agree with that, but this is just a story.)
One man acts as a kind of priest for the ætherial, and balks if anyone ever tries to touch him, which would apparently render him unclean (to which he'd have to go through a process to become clean again). He claims physical contact with other people disturb his connection to the ætherial.
Sloane practices her training in the ruins of a burned hut, and is told it "angers the spirits to visti the site of a Banished Unfaih." (Unfaih is the name of the race of people on the snow planet.)
One man acts as a kind of priest for the ætherial, and balks if anyone ever tries to touch him, which would apparently render him unclean (to which he'd have to go through a process to become clean again). He claims physical contact with other people disturb his connection to the ætherial.
Sloane practices her training in the ruins of a burned hut, and is told it "angers the spirits to visti the site of a Banished Unfaih." (Unfaih is the name of the race of people on the snow planet.)
{Language // Alcohol & Drugs}
"____ as hell" was used a time or two, as well as several uses of "d---," "pissed," "hell," "d--- it," "s---," "jacka--," "a--," and at least one use of the slang "heck." A character flips the bird at another jerk, unnecessarily (even though he was a total jerk).
As a pod heads towards the surface of a planet at an alarming rate of speed, one man cracks a tense joke of asking the stewardess to bring whisky.
We learn the people of the snow planet live on & protect a substance much like water, called the Liftsal. Its properties remind me of the water from the legendary Fountain of Youth, in that it heals and can bring long life to the drinker. (Or causes destruction...)
As a pod heads towards the surface of a planet at an alarming rate of speed, one man cracks a tense joke of asking the stewardess to bring whisky.
We learn the people of the snow planet live on & protect a substance much like water, called the Liftsal. Its properties remind me of the water from the legendary Fountain of Youth, in that it heals and can bring long life to the drinker. (Or causes destruction...)
{Romantic Content}
There's a choosing ceremony for finding one's soul mate. The Unfaih depend on the results of a magical orb, which changes colors in the presence of two people. For example, if its hue goes to that of silver while two people stand close to it, it confirms them as a good match. If it changes to gold, it means they are more than a good match, they are soul mates. If it turns red, it means they would hate each other. (This was an especially amusing scene.)
There's a nice, slow-burn romance between Rhyn and Sloane. It's one of those relationships where she hates his guts at first, but as she comes to know the culture of the people she's literally stuck with, she finds herself caring more & more. They come close to sharing a kiss, I believe... Or kiss at least once---I honestly can't remember. xD This was such a wild ride!
There's a nice, slow-burn romance between Rhyn and Sloane. It's one of those relationships where she hates his guts at first, but as she comes to know the culture of the people she's literally stuck with, she finds herself caring more & more. They come close to sharing a kiss, I believe... Or kiss at least once---I honestly can't remember. xD This was such a wild ride!
{Conclusion}
This story was unexpectedly an enjoyable sci-fi fantasy filled with action, adventure, & a slow-burn romance. For being unfamiliar with the author, and finding it randomly on Amazon, I really liked this book!
The only reason it does not receive five stars, in my humble opinion, is due to the unnecessary language. Otherwise, I would highly recommend reading this if you enjoy a wild, science fiction adventure. :]
FOUR out of FIVE stars due to some violence, gore, & a fair amount of foul language.
The only reason it does not receive five stars, in my humble opinion, is due to the unnecessary language. Otherwise, I would highly recommend reading this if you enjoy a wild, science fiction adventure. :]
FOUR out of FIVE stars due to some violence, gore, & a fair amount of foul language.
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Ages: 16+
I've never heard of this author either, but this book sounds interesting! Isn't it always great to randomly find hidden gems? I love that feeling!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about this one! ^_^
Yes! Such surprising gems. :D
DeleteMy pleasure, girl! It's so fun discovering new books to enjoy. *^ - ^*